Guard shoe for a vacuum cleaner



July 9, 1957 H.- B. WEX 2,798,243

GUARD SHOE FOR A VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 5. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1Q3O 3 \IVLQ la is m H i8 *5 1- E l l =15) 12 28 H 28 i2 JNVENTOR.

HANS B.WEX

ATTO Fl M EYS July 9, 1957 H. B. WEX 2,798,243

v GUARD SHOE FOR A VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fig.3

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United States Patent 2,798,243 I GUARD SHOE FOR A VACUUM CLEANER Hans B.Wex, Alexandria, V a. Application February 5, 1954, Serial No. 408,546 2Claims. (Cl. 15-246) This invention relates to a guard shoe for a vacuumcleaner and has for its primary object to facilitate the cleaning ofshaggy fabrics with a vacuum cleaner of the conventional type.

Another object is to enable a conventional vacuum cleaner to be employedfor cleaning shag rugs of the type now in popular use wherein the nap ofa rug is long and normally tends to clog the suction slot of theconventional cleaner.

A more specific object is to prevent the nap of a shag rug from enteringthe suction slot of a conventional vacuum cleaner head to an extent thatwill interfere with the cleaning operation.

Another object is to facilitate the rapid attachment and detachment ofthe guard shoe to the suction head of a conventional vacuum cleaner.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this inventionwhich embodies among its features spaced parallel bars extending acrossand beyond opposite longitudinal side edges of the head of aconventional vacuum cleaner, extensions carried by opposite ends of thebars and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom to define with saidbars a guard shoe which will glide over a shaggy surface and prevent thenap thereof from entering the suction slot of the suction head of thecleaner, and means carried by the bars and engaging the suction head forretaining the guard shoe thereon.

Other features include spaced parallel cross bars car ried by the spacedparallel bars intermediate the ends of the guard shoe to define stopsfor engaging opposite longitudinal side edges of the suction head andarresting movement of the suction head relative to the guard shoe.

Still other features include extensible straps carried by the guard shoeand extending between the cross bars and across the suction headadjacent opposite ends thereof for holding the shoe on the head and thehead between the cross bars.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a suction head of a conventional vacuumcleaner showing this attachment in place thereon;

Figure 2 is a front view in elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 ofFigure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the attachment.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a suction head H is provided withan elongated longitudinally extending suction slot S which opens throughthe bottom of the head H and communicates through a duct D with aconventional suction fan (not shown) of the type commonly employed invacuum cleaners. The structure so far described is conventional andforms no part of this invention except in combination therewith.

The vacuum cleaner attachment constituting this invention comprises aguard shoe designated generally which is composed of a plurality ofelongated spaced parallel bars 12 which are provided adjacent oppositeends with upwardly and outwardly extending extensions 14 which with thebars 12 define spaced parallel 1on gitudinally extending guard runnerswhich are adapted to extend across the suction slot S of the vacuumcleaner head H, as will be readily understood upon reference to thedrawings. Carried by and extending transversely across the upper outerends of the extensions 14 are end bars 16 and carried by opposite endsof the end bars 16 and extending longitudinally therebetween aboveopposite side edges of the shoe are tie bars 18 which, as illustrated inFigure 5, define an elongated substantially rectangular trough-likestructure defining the guard shoe 10. Reinforcing bars 20 are carried bythe spaced parallel bars 12 adjacent the junctions thereof with theextensions 14 and extend transversely across the shoe' 10 adjacentopposite ends thereof.

Carried by and extending transversely across the spaced parallel bars 12are spaced parallel cross bars 22 which define stops for engagingopposite side edges of the head H to arrest longitudinal movement of thehead relative to the shoe. Carried by the cross bars adjacent oppositeends thereof and extending upwardly therefrom are posts 24, the upperends of which are welded or otherwise fixed to the tie bars 18, andcarried by the posts and extending transversely across the shoe abovethe cross bars 22 are bridge bars 26 which are connected intermediatetheir ends with the cross bars 22 by upwardly extending pillars 28.

Elastic straps 30 are provided with separable fasteners 32 and, asillustrated in the drawings, are extended beneath the bars 26 and acrossthe top of the head H on opposite sides of the duct D and opposite endsof the straps 30 are connected together, as illustrated in Figures 1 and3, to retain the shoe 10 on the head with the head disposed between thecross bars 22.

With the shoe mounted 011 the head, as above described, it will beobvious that the head may be employed to clean shag rugs and the likeand the guard shoe will prevent the nap of the rug being cleaned frominterfering with the manipulation of the head H. Thus, byusing theattachment, the shag rugs now popularly employed may be readily cleanedwith an ordinary vacuum cleaner.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A guard attachment for a vacuum cleaner head having a suction slotopening through the bottom thereof, said attachment comprising aplurality of bars arranged in parallel spaced relation, a reinforcingbar extending transversely across said bar adjacent each end thereof andcarried by said bars, a tie bar positioned above and extending alongeach of the outermost ones of said parallel bars and carried by theadjacent outermost one of said bars, a pair of crossbars arranged inparallel spaced relation positioned transversely of and carried by saidplurality of bars intermediate the ends thereof, a post connecting eachend of said crossbars to the adjacent tie bar, a bridge bar positionedabove and extending along each of the crossbars and having the oppositeends attached to the adjacent post intermediate the ends of the post,said crossbars being adapted to receive therebetween said cleaner headwith the portion of said parallel spaced bars between said crossbarsbeing adapted to support the bottom of said head and extend across thesuction slot in the bottom of said head, and spaced straps eachextending between and over said bridge bars and having cooperatingdetachable fastening means on the free ends thereof, said straps beingadapted to overlie the suction head when positioned between saidcrossbars and supported on the portions of said spaced parallel barsbetween said crossbars to hold the head in position. v I

2. A guard attachment for a vacuum cleaner head having a suction slotopening through the bottom thereof, said attachment comprising aplurality of bars arranged in parallel spaced relation, extensionscarried by opposite ends of said bar and extending upwardly andoutwardly therefrom, a reinforcing b'ar extending transversely acrossthe parallel bars at the juncture of theextensions at each of theopposite ends of the parallel bars, an end bar extending transversely ofthe upper ends of theextensions at 15 each of the opposite ends of theparallel bars, a tie bar positioned above and extending along each ofthe outermost ones of said parallel bars and carried by said end bars, apair of crossbars arranged in parallel spaced relation positionedtransversely of and carried'by saidplurality of bars intermediate theends thereof, a post connecting each end of said crossbars to theadjacenttie bar, a bridge bar positioned above and extending along eachof said crossbars and having the opposite ends attached to the adjacentpost intermediate the ends of the post, said crossbars being adapted toreceive therebetween said cleaner head with the portion of said parallelspaced bars between said crossbars being adapted to support the bottomof said head and extend across the suction slot in the bottom of saidhead, and spaced straps each extending between and over said bridge barsand having cooperating detachable fastening means on the free endsthereof, said straps being adapted to overlie the suction head whenpositioned between said crossbars and supported on the portions of saidspaced parallel bars between said crossbars to hold the head inposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GreatBritain Nov. 12, 1931

